p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Using NEX only with LA-EA2 and A Mount Primes Make Sense?

Looking at NEX native lenses size and quality I thinking if it will make sense use LA-EA2 as permanent fixture and use A Mount primes only.

My logic behind thought is total size of setup with LA-EA2 and A Mount 35mm, 50mm and 85mm is not much different than Zeiss 24mm or 50mm. Keeping size same I get much better quality lenses at much less price plus full and fast PDAF.

Does it make sense? Is anyone using LA-EA2 with primes and what's your experience?

p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Using NEX only with LA-EA2 and A Mount Primes Make Sense?

I think if you're really interested in using only a-mount lenses, I'd probably still go with a Sony a-mount DSLT. I don't know if you've handled something like the a55, but it's really pretty compact (even smaller than the a77 in the picture above), and you'd get built-in stabilization, which is huge.

Now, I do think it makes sense to have both an a-mount body and a NEX body, and use a-mount lenses on both. This way, you can pick the best body for the situation.

p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Using NEX only with LA-EA2 and A Mount Primes Make Sense?

I've not used one, only read - So, grain of salt

Don't you lose 1/3 stop light with the mirror? Don't you also have a tighter grouping of AF points when compared to a A-mount camera? Isn't recording movie auto-focus limited to things wider than f/3.5?

edit:

I should also add that if I already had A-Mount body, I'd get a NEX + LA-EA2 for sure. I'm not knocking what it does. I just don't think I'd use it as my exclusive system. That's just me.

p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Using NEX only with LA-EA2 and A Mount Primes Make Sense?

plasticmotif wrote:
I've not used one, only read - So, grain of salt

Don't you lose 1/3 stop light with the mirror? Don't you also have a tighter grouping of AF points when compared to a A-mount camera? Isn't recording movie auto-focus limited to things wider than f/3.5?

edit:

I should also add that if I already had A-Mount body, I'd get a NEX + LA-EA2 for sure. I'm not knocking what it does. I just don't think I'd use it as my exclusive system. That's just me.

You lose that same 1/3 stop of light with the LA-EA2+NEX. The AF is exactly the same.

p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · Using NEX only with LA-EA2 and A Mount Primes Make Sense?

Are you also planning to have the EVF? If you also add the EVF then the size and cost adds up and the A55 or A57 become a much cheaper alternative. I haven't used LA-EA2 myself so I don't know what is the overall performance with NEX+LA-EA2. However I do know that it is from the A55 days and later bodies like A57 and A65 are much snappier compared to A55 in terms of shorter viewfinder blackout, faster review etc.

p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · Using NEX only with LA-EA2 and A Mount Primes Make Sense?

Thanks for the feedback. Looks like general consensus is this may not be a good idea.

To add couple of points, I was/am only thinking of using it with primes. Does does it handles with primes? I have used A65 and find it to big specially since I am more interested in candid/street type photography. I feel VERY uncomfortable pointing DSLR at people in public spaces.

I don't plan to add EVF at the moment as I expect to pick up Nex-7 next version which may have much better AIR got interested in LA-EA2 combo when I see total length of EA2+35mm equals length of 18-55 or 50/24mm NEX primes

p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · Using NEX only with LA-EA2 and A Mount Primes Make Sense?

Note the LA-EA2 and 35 is MUCH longer than the native 35/1.8 OSS and the 24/2 itself is much larger than the 24/1.8 even before the LA-EA2 is factored in. The Minolta 24/2.8 on an LA-EA2 is comparable in length to the 24/1.8 but otherwise larger (the LA-EA2 is thicker than the LA-EA1 due to the extra section below the mount tube, and the 24/2.8 is larger diameter than the 24/1.8). The only matchup that's equivalent in size is the fast 50's and the 50/1.8 OSS is optically superior to any of the fast A mount 50's (Owned them all, liked the rendering on the DT50/1.8 best but otherwise the 50 OSS was significantly superior optically to the 50/1.7, 50/1.8 or 50/1.4).

Now the 85/2.8 is another thing, it's a gem, there's no native equivalent and it's very compact on an LA-EA1 or LA-EA2. Note it AF's on the LA-EA1 (albeit slowly). Frankly I keep my LA-EA1 around just for the 85/2.8 SAM.

p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · Using NEX only with LA-EA2 and A Mount Primes Make Sense?

You nailed it down. 85/f2.8 is THE lens why I started thinking about LA-EA2.

mawz wrote:
Now the 85/2.8 is another thing, it's a gem, there's no native equivalent and it's very compact on an LA-EA1 or LA-EA2. Note it AF's on the LA-EA1 (albeit slowly). Frankly I keep my LA-EA1 around just for the 85/2.8 SAM.